Boat bumper



NOV. 5, 1963 w, NUSlNOFF 3,109,405

BOAT BUMPER Filed NOV. 27, 1961 k INVENTOR.

By Willy Nusinoff 2 ARTHUR A. MARCH ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,109,405 BOAT BUIWPER Willy Nnsinolf, 308 W. Seaman Ave., Freeport, N.Y. Filed Nov. 27, 1961, Ser. No. 154,945 1 Claim. (Cl. 11 4219) This invention relates to a boat bumper or fender, and more specifically to an improved bumper construction to protect substantially the entire gunwale or topside of a boat including the boat transom against damaging contacts with other boats, docks, piles or other moving facilities.

Heretofore, the top sides or gunwale of a boat was protected against collision with docks, piles, moorings and the like simply by fender hooks or bumpers spotted around the boat. Generally such bumpers were merely attached by a line and hung over the side of the boat. Such bumpers were. effective only for guarding that portion of the boat in the immediate vicinity of the guard. Since contact with other boats, docksides, piles and other mooring facilities occur at unforeseeable places along the sides of a boat, spotting of conventional bumper guards around the boat has not been found to be satisfactory. This is because the spotting of conventional bumper to protect the boat against one set of conditions may not be effective for protecting the boat under another set of conditions resulting for example from changing tides and winds.

Therefore, an object of this invention is to obviate the observed deficiencies of conventional boat bumper guards by providing an improved boat bumper constructed and arranged to protect an extended length or portion of the topsides or gunwale of a boat.

Another object is to provide an improved boat bumper constructed and tarranged so as to be detachably connected about the gunwale of a boat or topside of a boat.

Still another object is to provide a boat bumper constructed as a series of elongated segments which are adapted to be disposed in substantially end to end relationships so as to extend about the entire periphery of a boat so that it is protected on all sides from damaging contact with other objects.

A feature of this invention resides in the provision that the individual bumper segments are relatively simple in structure, easy to attach and detach from a boat, readily interchangeable, and positive in operation.

Other features and advantages will become readily apparent when considered in view of the drawings and description in which:

'FIG. 1 is a plan View of a boat with the improved bumper guards of the invention placed about the entire periphery of the boat.

FIG. 2 is a section view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates the improved bumper of this invention as applied to the topside of aboat.

FIG. 4 is a detail plan view of the bumper of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a section view taken through line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a plan view of a typical boat hull on which the improved bumper means 11 of this invention is embodied. As therein illustrated a series of elongated bumper segments 12 may be spaced about the entire periphery of the boat 10 is substantially end to end relationship.

Referring to FIG. 2 each bumper segment 12 comprises casings consisting of an inner liner 13 of an elongated length of rubber or other suitable material, such as heavy canvas, duck cloth and the like which is arcuate in cross-section for accommodating the gunwale portion of the boat. Secured to the elongated length of material or linear 13 is an outer covering 14 of similar or like material to define therewith a pocket or envelope in which a suitable padding material 15 is disposed. Such padding material 15 may consist of any resilient material such as sponge rubber, foam rubber, cork, kapok, or any other suitable type of material able to absorb impacts.

In the illustrated embodiment the respective bumper segments 12 are detachably connected to the boat '10 by suitable fastening means. In the particular instant the fastening means comprise a series of twist head type fasteners 16 that are spaced at intervals along the length of the boat hull 10. The inner arcuate liner 13 is preferabiy provided with extended flange portions 17 which have formed therein a series of elongated holes or gromment 18. The arrangement is such that the bumper segment 12 is rendered readily attachable by fitting the bumper to the boat so that heads 19 of the twist fasteners 16 are received in each of the grommets or holes '18 in the fiange 17 of the bumper. Thus the bumper segments 12 are made fast simply by rotating each of the twist heads 19 normal to the major axis of the elongated holes 18. In the absence of the flange the bumper may be secured by fastening means extending from the body of the bumper itself.

It should be noted that it is preferred to have the twist fasteners 16 equidistantly spaced about the entire length of the gunwale so that the respective bumper segments 12 can be standardized and rendered interchangeable with one another.

While FIG. 1 illustrates a number of bumpers disposed about the periphery of the boat, it will be apparent that the bumper segments 12 may be selectively disposed along one side only or along any portion thereof, depending on any given circumstance.

While twist type fastening means 16 have been described it will be apparent that snap type or other type fasteners may be employed in lieu thereof. For example, as an alternate construction (not shown) the bumper segments may be secured by lacing with a line.

FIGS. 3 to 5 illustrate a slightly modified construction of a bumper guard segment 30. This form of bumper is particularly adapted for attachment to the topside 31 of a boat hull 32 although it may be used on the gunwale or other locations as a result of its flexibility.

The bumper segment 30 of FIGS. 3 to 5 of the invention is similar to that of FIGS. 1 and 2, except that the inner line 33 is substantially flat adapting it to be disposed fiush against the topside 31 of a boat. This form is also illustrated as comprising an inner liner 33 and outer covering 34 to define an envelope for receiving the padding material 36. The fastening means 37 for securing the bumper segments 30 comprise cooperating fasteners attached to the topsides 31 and grommet holes 38 formed in the flanges 39 of the bumper segments, as hereinbefore described.

While the bumpers '12, 30 herein illustrated have the padding material 15, 36 respective disposed in an envelope or casing defined by [an inner liner 13, 33 and outer covering 14, 34 respectively, it will be understood that the casing or envelope may be omitted if the padding material 15, 36 of each segment 12, 30 is made as an integral unit.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the entire side of the boat hull is protected from damaging impacts with dock pilings 40, for example. Also it will be apparent that the bumper guards conform to the liner of the boat hull, and thus present a neat and pleasing appearance. These bumper guards may be kept in place or easily and rapidly removed as desired.

Variations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claim.

1 claim:

In combination, a boat having sides topped by a 'gunwale-projectng laterally beyond said sides, a boat bumper for protecting substantially the entire length of said gunwale against damaging contact with another structure, said bumper including a series of elongated bumper segments, each segment including an inner flexible liner and a connected outer flexible covering to define an, envelope, a resilient solid padding material disposed within said envelope, each of said bumper segmentsrbeing sized and shaped to embrace an elongated segment of said gunwale and said bumper segments being disposed in substantially end to end relationship so as to extend about the entire periphery of said boat, the inner liner of said bumper segment having a coextensive fiexible flange disposed along the longitudinal edges thereof, and cooperating means on said flanges and said gunwale for detachably connecting each of said bumper segments to said gunwale, said cooperating means including upper and lower series of equidistantly spaced quick detachable fasteners, each having a rotatable flat V twist head connected to the exterior surface of said gun- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,117,121 Urquhart May 10, 1938 2,141,799 Pyle Dec. 27, 1938 2,592,011 Colston Apr. v8, 1952 2,848,725 Sloulin Aug. 26, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,133,360 France Nov. 19, 1956 

